A passion to reach those that live beyond the reach of traditional church culture

Rev Joan Godden

Credentials

The Clergy Support Memorial Church Board was in full agreement to certify the Rev Joan Godden to the Office of Appointed Designated Minister-Life Celebrations and Pastoral Care on September 13th, 2016. We recognize Joan brings a wealth of dedication, caring and sharing of faith and knowledge to the adults, families and organizations that make up her community.

Academic Background & Training

Graduate Certificate – Canadian Ministers Training Institute

Bachelor of Arts (English and History), Western University

Diploma – Teaching and Training Adults, Georgian College

Diploma – Leadership, Management and Decision Making, Ryerson

Certificate – National Trainer

Certificate – Family Literacy Specialist

Worship

Rev Joan participates actively in her faith community through her music, leadership roles, fund raising, and community building activities. In the past she was the Secretary for the Anglican Parish of the Bruce Peninsula and assisted the priest in fulfilling the functions of that position.

She attends and participates in discussion groups to explore the Gospels, social issues and the directions that church will be taking in the future.

Volunteer Work

Joan has been a lifelong volunteer, giving of her time and talents to building a better place for herself, her family and her community. Of note, this sampling of projects, in particular, she is proud to say she has been involved in.

After graduating from University, she spent a year with Canadian University Services Oversees, in Nigeria, teaching English language and Literature in a girls’ secondary school. Later she was involved in the Curriculum Development Committee – Nigerian Board of Education.

When institutions for the developmentally delayed adults from her community were closing, she chaired the committee for Community Living that opened the first group home in Wiarton. They were, therefore, able to house, support and provide programming for families with high needs individuals. She began an era in which they were able to bring people back to their home communities.

She was the representative for the town of Wiarton on a committee of the Hospital Board of Directors which was given the task of raising $5M dollars to build a new hospital in the community. The campaign was called “Generations of Care” and in 1999 the new hospital was erected.

Because of her love of music, she has given of her time and talents to bring music to children, her church and her community. She has taught music to young children, sung at community events in numerous choirs, both sacred and secular, and continues to participate in visits to the elderly to bring the music they love to life again.

Hobbies

For over 30 years Joan has enjoyed being a singer with community choirs and church choirs. She has a passion for making music and belonged to a community band as well. Amateur theatre productions have also been fun!

She’s an amateur bird watcher and takes great pleasure in tromping around in the region with an amazingly skilled group of people who really know their stuff.

Her Monarch Butterfly Gardens let her get her hands dirty as well as promoting the need to conserve natural environments for all in her role as a Monarch Butterfly Pod Ambassador.

She also runs a little Reading Club called “The Book Whackers”. They are avid readers with a huge range of literary interest but admit to spending more time laughing at their meetings than actually discussing books. In the past year or so, she has focused her reading on female Canadian authors, anthropology and psychiatry. When time permits, she indulges in a little light reading of some of the great mystery writers. She tries to keep up with children’s literature and recently became a fan of “The Wonky Donkey”!

Closing Thoughts

Rev Joan is passionate and cares about understanding the people around her, the world she inhabits and the spiritual realm. She looks constantly to build her capacities in these regards through learning, participating in community activities and self-awareness. As an Appointed Designated Minister in Clergy Support Memorial Church she has found a way to meld all of these ideas together and serve her community by providing Life Celebrations and hopes she has made a difference in some lives.